My Advent Owls: A Month of Family Togetherness

Finn loves advent calendars. Who doesn't right? Isn't the anticipation usually as much fun as Christmas itself? We have a wooden advent calendar with doors that open into tiny cubes that I found at Goodwill a few years back and I normally put a small candy or sticker in the cube for each day. But this year I started to wonder if Finn really needs a treat every day for 25 days? I decided what we really needed was to spend more together time as a family. Not just in each others presence, but actively enjoying the company of one another. Even though we are all together for parts of every day, sometimes we are so rushed with preparing dinner, cleaning up, getting the kids to bed, etc. that we don't actually take the time to "be" together.
And so my owl advent idea was born. These were certainly a bit time consuming to make, but I think they came out well. And I even finished in time! I am actually hoping to get them up on my etsy shop next winter.... Although I think that I need to get some smaller clothespins to hang them from.
The pocket in front is where each day Finn will get a piece of paper that will include a family event for the day. Some will be more extravagant than others, depending on schedules, but having a least a small time together each day where we are focused on being together will be wonderful.
I was really excited about this idea... until Finn got a Lego Star Wars advent calendar as a birthday present. I admit, it does look super cool, but as my husband said "who cares about felt owls when you have legos?". So, hopefully this will still be fun for all involved. The lego guys can come too.
Here are my ideas for the 25 days. Most of them are not yet in the correct order, but I still have time for that!

1. write a letter to santa
2. make paper snowflakes
3. go out to a movie in a theater
4. make cookies to deliver to friends
5. watch a holiday movie at home
6. take a nature walk
7. walk down peacock lane (infamous in Portland for super decked-out houses at Christmas time)
8. play in the snow (which will likely require a drive to Mt. Hood)
9. listen to a holiday record
10. make a gingerbread house
11. decorate or tree (or tree alternative-- more on that later!)
12. drink a cup of hot cocoa
13. go ice skating
14. make salt-dough ornaments to give to family
15. volunteer together
16. go out to breakfast
17. gather of box of canned goods to donate to the food bank
18. take the bus downtown to see the city lights
19. go out to dinner
20. take the holiday train ride
21. watch How the Grinch Stole Christmas
22. watch the holiday ship parade
23. go on an adventure
24. read The Night Before Christmas
25. Spend Christmas day together!!

Do you have family plans for this month?

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